Gap has said it will be closing all eight of its Banana Republic stores in the UK as part of a global re-evaluation.

The retailer will be focusing its attention on North America, after announcing in May that it was reassessing the overseas presence of Banana Republic, which has suffered falling sales. Net sales in its European division fell 15 per cent to $17m in its most recently reported quarter.

Most of the UK locations will be closed down by the end of the fiscal year, though shoppers will still be able to order items from the chain’s regional website. The chain still has one store in France and another in Italy.

Chief financial officer Sabrina Simmons had said Gap planned to close stores that weren’t performing well and work on streamlining the brand’s operating model.